Electrical connecting device



Feb. 9, 1960 A. F. BARTON I 2,924,640

ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE- Filed April 16, 1957 INVENTOR BYW ATTORNEY5 l United Sta s, Pa o ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE Arthur F. Barton, Harlan, Ky. Application April 16, 1957, Serial No. 653,145 4 Claims. (Cl. 174-71) My invention relates broadly to a system for connecting service conductors to the secondary conductors of an electrical distribution system, and more particularly to an electrical connector including a clamp adapted to be secured to a secondary conductor and carrying service conductor attachment means for facilitating the connection of service conductors to secondary conductors.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an electrical connector including a construction of clamp engageable with a secondary conductor wherein the clamp carries attachment means thereon for establishing connection with service conductors for thereby facilitating the electrical connection of service lines with secondary conductors.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of two-part clamp readily engageable over a secondary conductor and wherein one or the other of the parts of the clamp includes attachment conductors therein for establishing connection with service conductors leading from the secondary conductor.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in a construction of clamp engageable over a secondary conductor in which at least one part of the clamp carries radiating conductors therein facilitating the connection of service conductors with the secondary conductors as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical installation of electrical connector of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the electrical connector shown in Fig. l and illustrated on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking at the end of the clamp illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to the view shown in Fig. 3 but illustrating a modified form of electrical connector embodying my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a typical installation utilizing the electrical connector of my invention.

My invention is directed to a construction of electrical connector for establishing clamping engagement with a secondary conductor and carrying connectors thereon from which electrical connection may be readily made to service conductors in an electrical distribution system. Due to the fact that greater use is now being made of aluminum conductors in electric power distribution systems, ditliculties have arisen in the making of connections between secondary and service conductors resulting primarily from the complications in effecting reliable soldered connections between aluminum conductors. My invention provides a clamp which is readily engageable over a secondary conductor for establishing a compression connection therewith and wherein one or more parts of the clamp carry protruding self-sustaining attachment wires to which electrical connection may be readily made to service conductors, thereby facilitating electrical connection between a number of service conductors and the secondary conductor adjacent the supporting post. Connection may thus be established to service conductors without damage to the secondary conductors. The installation of service conductors may be completed rapidly and with minimum labor by use of the electrical connection of my invention, thus providing economic advantages to the utility company.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1 designates the supporting post of an electric power installation system to which bracket 2 is attached carrying insulator 3. The secondary conductor 4 extends lineally and is suspended by insulator 3. The service conductors are also suspended by insulator 3 and two of such service conductors are illustrated at 5 and 6. In order to establish quick electrical connection between the lineally extending suspended secondary conductor 4 and the service conductors 5 and 6, I attach a compression clamp 7 to the secondary conductor 4. The compression clamp 7 includes a pair of aligned substantially polygonally-shaped pressure plates 8 and 9 shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, which are provided with semi-cylindrical recesses 8a and 9a adapted to engage opposite sides of the secondary conductor 4. The substantially polygonally-shaped pressure plates 8 and 9 are secured together by means of a screw-threaded bolt 10 having a coacting engaging nut 11 thereon and operating to maintain the plates 8 and 9 in position on the secondary conductor 4.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 2-4, the plate 8 carries three fan-like protruding rods 12, 14 and 15 projecting from one end thereof. These rods are selfsustaining, that is, they are stilf and provide connecting means to service conductors. The opposite clamping plate 9 contains a similar set of protruding rods 16, 17 and 18 extending from the end of plate 9, that is directly opposite the end of plate 8 from which rods 12, 14 and 15 project which provide connecting means for additional service conductors. In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, these sets of protruding rods are all carried by opposite ends of plate 9 as indicated at 12' and 16, and in this arrangement plate 8 is simply a clamping plate and not a carrier for the protruding rods.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the manner in which electrical connection is established between the secondary conductor 4 suspended by insulator 3 and the service conductors 5 and 6 suspended from the same insulator 3. The service conductor 5 extends through a flexible connection 5a to a coupling 19 which couples to the tip of the protruding rod 12, thereby completing an electrical connection between service conductor 5 and secondary conductor 4 without the necessity of making a soldered connection on secondary conductor 4. Similarly, service conductor 6 connects through flexible connection 6a and the coupling 20 to the end of the tip of the protruding rod 14 for completing a circuit between a secondary conductor 4 and service conductor 6 without the necessity of making a soldered connection on secondary conductor 4.

The protruding rods 12, 14 and 15 clamp, and 16, 17 and 19 at the opposite end of the clamp insure the maintenance of the proper spatial relation to the flexible connection leading to the service conductors.

A number of clamps 7 may be positioned along the secondary conductor 4 for completing and distributing the service connections along the conductor 4 at desired intervals spaced from the supporting pole 1.

I have found the electrical connector of my invention very practical and successful in its use. While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred at one end of the Patented Feb. 9, 1 96 0 embodiments I realize that modifications may be made, and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. Means for electrically connecting service conductors with secondary conductors in a power distribution system comprising, in combination with a lineally extending secondary conductor and suspended service conductors, a two-part clamping device attachable to the secondary conductor, a plurality of'self-sustaining rodsprotruding from opposite ends of said clamping device, means extending through said two-part clamping device on an axis normal to the axes of said rods for clamping said device on said secondary conductor, and means for establishing electrical connection between the individual service conductors and individual self-sustaining rods.

2. Means for electrically connecting service conductors with secondary conductors as set forth in claim 1, in which said two-part clamping device comprises a pair of co-acting flat plates shaped to engage opposite sides of the secondary conductor and in which said self-sustaining rods protrude from opposite ends of one of said plates.

3. Means for electrically connecting service conduca 4 tors with secondary conductors as set forth in claim 1, in which said two-part clamping device comprises a pair of complementary fiat plates having lineally extending recesses therein which encompass said grip opposite sides of said secondary conductor, and wherein the selfsustaining rods protrude from one end of one of said plates and from the other endof the other of said plates.

4. Means for electrically connecting service conductors with secondary conductors as set forth in claim 1, in which said two-part clamping device comprises a pair of complementary plates having lineally disposed recesses therein which receive and which grip opposite sides of said secondary conductor, and in which said self-sustaining rods are supported in fan-like arrangement extending lineally outwardly with respect to opposite ends of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Knam Feb. 8, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES 

